WIGAN Athletic striker Neil Roberts is becoming accustomed to answering last-ditch distress calls to make up the numbers in Wales' international squads.

The 25-year-old former Wrexham player was again one of the most wanted men in the country on Monday afternoon after it was confirmed strikers Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy had pulled out of tonight's game against Hungary.

But Welsh football officials had trouble tracking him down, and it was little more than 12 hours before the plane left Cardiff that Roberts joined up with his international team-mates.

"I was in town with my partner and my daughter doing a bit of shopping. I didn't have my mobile phone with me, so once I got back I got the messages that they were trying to get hold of me," said Wrexham-born Roberts yesterday.

"It was a case then of dropping everything and getting down to Cardiff.I drove down and got to the team hotel at about 8.30pm."

The Wigan striker, currently spending much of his time as a substitute in his club's promotion bid, was a late replacement for Wales last month ahead of the 4-0 win against Scotland.

He had also turned up at short notice for November's Euro 2004 play-off game against Russia in Moscow and he won the last of his three caps to date after postponing a family holiday to travel with Wales to the United States last summer.

But the patriotic Welshman said he would never consider making an excuse not to turn up when asked.

"I don't think it matters when you are actually called up. It's a call from your country and that's an honour for me and my family," he said.